Full text of "USPTO Patents Application 10072916"

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(12)

UK Patent Application „ 9 ,GB ,,.,2 299 293 „ 3I A

(43) Date of A Publication

1996

(21) Application No 9506464.8

(22) Date of Filing 29.03.1995

(71) Applicant(s)

Gates (UK) Limited

(Incorporated in the United Kingdom)

Edinburgh Road, Heathall, DUMFRIES, DGl TQA,
United Kingdom

(72) Inventor(s)

Travis Moore

(74) Agent and/or Address for Service ■•
Carpmaols ft Ransford

43 Bloomsbury Square, LONDON, WC1A 2RA,
United Kingdom

(51)

(52)

INT CL 6

A47G 27/04 , B32B 3/28 29/00 , D06N 7/00

UK CL (Edition O )

B5N N0326 N0330 N0518 N0520 N17X N17Y N175
N178 N18X N182 N184 N195 N196 N198 N207 N21X
N223 N224 N225 N226 N247 N248 N2506 N256 N258
N274 N2740 N276 N2900 N319 N32X N323 N401 N418
N42X N420 N426 N427 N449 N46X N465 N480 N484
N492 N501 N502 N515 N516 N517 N519 N534 N535
N536 N537 N567 N595 N596 N597 N607 N622 N63X
N63Y N648 N650 N657 N658 N661 N668 N670 N671
N673 N692 N693 N694 N695 N70X N70Y N71Y N711
N734 N740 N761
U1SS1220

(56)

(58)

Documents Cited
GB 2257088 A
GB 2182071 A
WO 95/13919 A1

GB 2209351 A
GB 1419948 A
US 3775231 A

GB 2209350 A
GB 0862545 A

Field of Search
UK CL (Edition O ) A4S S1A SIB S1E S1F , B5N
INT CL 6 A47G 27/04 , B32B 3/28 29/00 29/02 , D06N
7/00

ONLINE:WPI,CLAIMS

(54) Carpet underlay and backing therefor

(57) A backi ng ftir a rubber or resilient polvmeric -carpet und erlavicom prises a layer ofcr epe paper or the like
(9) lammatedto a layer of non-stretch material (13) such as paper. The backing (7) is normally attached to the
underlay which may be formed from ground rubber crumbs supported in a binder material, or of sponge
rubber, or latex foam or a polyurethane foam and may be convol uted or ribb ed. A release layer may be locate d
on the side of the ujigjarjay^opposite the backing (7) and it is preferred that the crepe paper (9) is uppermost.

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At least one drawing originally filed was informal and the print reproduced here is taken from a later filed formal copy.

2299293

5 of the type which incorporates a layer of sponge rubber
material, but also encompasses both latex foam and crumb
rubber types, and to a backing for the underlay*

Carpet underlays commonly consist of a sponge rubber
layer, which is most often in a convoluted or corrugated
10 form, together with a "backing" adhered to the upper side of
the sponge rubber layer. Th e purpose of the backing is to
act as a ter^ile^member,_giving reinfor^e^ntjj^h^respect.

toJjreak---strenqth,_ puncture res i stance f _lack_of elongation
underload— and— related^pr o per t ies . Without this tensile

15 layer, the carpet underlay would be diffi cult, o r
impossi^l^,_ta-hand4e^ —

(hessian) , /lion-woven-textiles formed f rojf[_glassy polyester

or polypropylene fibres and stitche d^crepe craft ^papef. Of

20 these backing materials, the latter, often known TEXTRON_
(Registered Trade Hark) , is the most common, particularly
for high quality products.

TEXTOOjL^tl-tched— craf.t_pa per back ing_has been in
p roduction for about 20 years. Whilst details of its

25 specification have changed in minor respects over that
period, its basic construction has remained, in principle,
unaltered* The TEXTRON material consists of a crepe paper
(which is corrugated by a wet or a dry process) into which
a plurality o f spaced rows of yarns (preferab ly of

30 polyester) have been stitched to provide a plural ity_of
_warps^ — The warps cross the corrugations and prevent the
backing stretching in this direction, whereas the wefts run
parallel to or inclined at one or more angles to the
corrugations, and prevent stretching in that direct ion ♦ The

35 TEXTRON material has an attractive a nd textilerlike_

appearance^_is_pl easant ^o handle ^has_s_uff icie nt_bulk,~and
has an adequate level of ph ysical pro pe rties such as tear,
break and elongation resistance. However, it is relatively

Materials commonly used as backing include woven jute

expensive since the polyester stitching cost is high. The
stitching process is slow and the yarn is costly when
compared to the crepe paper part of the material.

This disadvantage is overcome in the present invention
5 in which, according to the broadest aspect, we provide a
backing for sponge rubber or like ca rpet underlay comprising
a layer of crepe paper laminated to a layer ofnon^s€retclr~
materia 1 , pr eferably flat p aper •

Preferably, the two layers are laminated using an

10 adh esive of the PVA type (polyvinyl alcohol, modified with

minor ingredients, and in emuls ion form with-^watet)> V>^V ^

Preferably, the flat paper contains 80%, or more, of
recycled pulp, whereas the creped paper contains between 20%
and 50% of recycled pulp, the remainder being virgin pulp.

15 Also according to the present invention, we provide

a carpet underlay comprising a sheet of rubber mater ial
having on its upper surface a backing as described above.
The rubber material may be formed from ground rubber crumbs
or granules, recycled from rubber tyres or other sources,

20 supporte d^ in a resin latex or _ other binder material, or a
polyurethane foam material, either in the form of a slab
slit from virgin stock, or in reconstituted form
(reconstituted chips bound with a binder, e.g. of
polyurethane) or of similar construction, but is preferably

25 sponge rubber or latex foam. This may be corrugated or
convoluted, or ribbed or grooved.

In the case of sponge rubber, the unblown rubber
compound has the backing adhered to its upper surface, prior
to it being passed through a heating device, e.g. an oven,

30 and to the solid compound being blown to form it into a
sponge, followed by curing. If the sponge material is to be
convoluted or corrugated, it is passed through the heating
device on a chain mat.

In the case of latex foam, the foam material is spread

35 on the backing and is normally flat. If a ribbed, grooved
or wavy surface is desired, the foam material is spread flat
on the backing with a contoured comb-like knife, which may
be moved to and fro to give a wave-like form to the grooves

or waves. «w

The carpet unterlay_jpa y have a_jfac ing on the s ide .q£
ttereofljipposite-the.bftc^ release pro perties,when \P^\

used in, fully a dhered i nstall ation sy stems .
5 Creped paper on its own without stitching is of low

cost and is acceptable to the consumer, but apart from /
puncture resistance, does not have adequate physical
properties. In particular, its resistance to elongation is 1
very poor and the amount to which it stretches when subject \

10 to load during underlay manufacture and in fitting is ^
unacceptable. Ordinary flat, uncreped paper, on the other
hand, is inexpensive and has the necessary physical
properties , except puncture resistance which is poor, but is
unacceptable to the consumer because it has poor handling

15 properties, low bulk, creases on flexing and is perceived to
be of poor appearance. However, the present invention,
which provides a backing formed of creped and uncreped paper
laminated together, all of the required criteria are met
simultaneously.

20 Several alternative embodiments of underlay according

to the present invention are now described, by way of
example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which: -

FIGURE 1 is a section through a flat sponge rubber
25 underlay according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section through a convoluted sponge
rubber underlay according to a second embodiment of the
invention;

FIGURE 3 is a section through a flat rubber crumb
30 underlay according to a third embodiment of the invention;
and

FIGURE 4 is a section through a patterned foam rubber
underlay according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, like components in the
35 various views are identified by the same reference numerals.

In the embodiment of Figure 1, the underlay 1 is made
from a sheet of flat sponge rubber 3 having a serrated or
otherwise patterned lower surface 5, and a backing 7 in the

In-

form of a laminate attached to its upper surface. The

laminate^ 7 comprises an u p per la yer _of crepj&_.|»pfir_?

attached vit h_adhesiye^ll_to_a_ sheet of flat pa per 13. T he
flat paper 13 may be adhered directly to the rubber prior to
5 curing, using the rubber itself as the adhesive, or a
proprietary adhesive may be used for this purpose.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the flat sponge
rubber is replaced by a sheet of convoluted sponge rubber 4.
This receives its convolutions by being passed through a
10 curing oven on a chain mat. The flat paper 13 is secured to
the tips of the convolutions with an adhesive (not shown)
which could be the rubber material itself.

In the alternative embodiment shown in Figure 3, the
underlay lb is comprised of a flat sheet 2 made up of
15 ground-up rubber crumbs or particles 6 bonded together with
latex, on the upper surface of which is a backing made up of
a laminate 7a; the laminate is formed of a flat sheet of
paper 13 adhered with adhesive 11 to a crepe paper 9, the
c repe paper being secured^ in _known_^m anner to the crumb
20 r ubber js heet. On the underside of the crumb rubber sheet 2
is a (f acing 1 4 of spun bond ed^oly esggr> T his is a kno wn
mat erial, an d^a llows the underlay easil y to be re leased_when
it ^is adhere d to a floor, e.g . of concrete or wood b v the W
application of adhesive to the underside of the facing 15;
25 when the underlay is pulled up, part of the facing 15 will
remain adhered to the floor, and part to the underside of
the flat sheet 2, and very little, if any, of the sheet 2
will remain adhered to the floor.

In the fourth embodiment of the invention shown in
30 Figure 4, the upper part of the underlay is formed of a
crepe paper 9 , adhesi .ve-11.,— f.lat_p^per^j : 3_ 1 _a nd lam inate 7
^ nsoa^ ^^.^dhered to a fo am rubber sheet 10 in known ma nner. The

i^k e ^\ sheet - ITCThas a ribbed or otherwise patterned under face 12.

In all the embodiments, the flat sheet of paper 13,
35 which could be replaced with another sheet or web of non-
stretch material, prevents the crepe paper 9 from
stretching. This therefore gives stability to the whole
underlay. The crepe paper 9, on the other hand, provides

bulk, has a pleasant appearance, and is puncture resistant.

In the embodiments of Figures 1, 2 and 4, the flat
paper 9 and the crepe paper 13 could be inverted with
respect to each other, and the same applies to the
5 construction shown in Figure 3. It is preferred, however,
that the crepe paper 9 be uppermost, since this has greater
consumer appeal, and provides the necessary strength and
resistance to damage.

The release layer or facing 15 shown in Figure 3 is

10 only a preferred feature. It may also be provided in the
embodiments of Figures 1, 2 and 4*

A sample backing has been achieved in early trials by
a simple lamination process in which the two layers making
up the laminate 7 were combined using a PVA (aqueous

15 suspension of polyvinyl alcohol) adhesive applied by hand.
A flat paper 13 of 37g/m 2 weight made from 80% recycled/20%
virgin pulp was laminated by hand to 72g/m 2 crepe paper 13
produced from a 37g/m 2 base which contained 20% recycled/80%
virgin pulp. Adhesive 11 was applied to the flat paper by

20 hand, the crepe paper 13 was laminated to it, and the
composite dried under pressure. This backing or laminate 7
was applied to an appropriate sponge rubber compound which
was passed through an oven, supported by a chain mat to
cause it to become convoluted, blown to a sponge, and cured.

25 The product illustrated in Figure 2 was judged to have
excellent physical properties and was believed to be very
acceptable to consumers.

Moreover, with respect to cost, the two component
papers for making the laminate 7 or 7a are available at

30 appropriate weights for less than half the cost of stitched
crepe paper sold as TEXTRON. The cost of the lamination is
known to be very low. In the case of wet creping in
particular, the process uses drying and pressure rollers so
that lamination can be introduced "in-line" without an

35 additional step, and in the case of a starch based adhesive,
possibly without even extra material cost.

It will be understood that many variations from the
embodiments described with reference to the drawings are

possible. Both crepe and flat papers can be of any
appropriate weight and degree of creping, and the finish
and other characteristics can be varied. Virgin pulp,
recycled pulp or modified conventional paper formulations
5 containing, for example, polypropylene fibres to enhance
tensile and tear strength, can be used for both the crepe
and the flat paper. The crepe paper can be replaced by
other paper types similarly treated to texturise, "bulk-up"
and improve puncture resistance, e.g. by embossing,

10 punching, grooving, etc. , and the term "crepe" paper should
be interpreted accordingly. Furthermore-^— a__ wide variety of^
a< toesive s^rill_be acceptable. These include starch-based
products widely used within the paper industry,
thermoplastic types, and a vajrietyof glass^and resins from

15 natural sources. Lamination may also be carried out
mechanically by punching as in a needle felting process or
s im i lar fash ion^ It^j^also-env-isaged-that^
c^uld^be^rep laced by other types of flat sheet or web-liice^
material.

20 _ -

SRIMS;

1. A backing for sponge rubber or like carpet underlay
comprising a layer of crepe paper laminated to a layer of

5 non-stretch material.

2. A backing according to claim 1, wherein the non-
stretch material is flat paper.

10 3. A backing according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the two
layers are laminated using an adhesive of the PVA type.

4. A backing according to claim 2 or claim 3 when
dependent on claim 2, wherein flat paper contains at least

15 80% of recycled pulp, whereas the creped paper contains
between 20% and 50% of recycled pulp, the remainder being
virgin pulp.

5. A backing according to claim 1, and substantially as
20 hereinbefore described.

6. A carpet underlay comprising a web of rubber or
resilient polymeric material having on its upper surface a
backing as claimed in any one of claims 1-5.

7. A carpet underlay according to claim 6, wherein the
rubber material is formed from ground rubber crumbs or
granules, recycled from rubber tyres or other sources,
supported in a resin binder material.

8. A carpet underlay according to claim 6, wherein the
rubber material is sponge rubber.

9. A carpet underlay according to claim 6, wherein the
35 rubber material is latex foam.

10. A carpet underlay according to claim 6, in which the
resilient polymeric material is a polyurethane foam.

11. A carpet underlay according to claim 8, 9 or 10,
wherein the sponge rubber, latex foam or polyure thane foam
is corrugated or convoluted.

12. A carpet underlay according to claim 8, 9 or 10,
wherein the rubber or polyurethane foam material is ribbed
or grooved.

10 13. A carpet underlay according to claim 111, wherein,
when the rubber material is sponge rubber, the unblown
rubber compound has the backing adhered to its upper
surface, prior to it being passed through a heating device,
e.g. an oven, and to the solid compound being blown to form

15 it into a sponge, followed by curing.

14. A carpet underlay according to claim 13, wherein the
sponge material is passed through the heating device on a
chain mat so that it becomes convoluted or corrugated.

15. A carpet underlay according to claim 11, wherein, if
the rubber material is latex foam, the foam material is
spread on the backing and when a ribbed, grooved or wavy
surface is desired, the foam material is spread flat on the

25 backing with a contoured comb-like knife, which may be moved
to and fro to give a wave-like form to the grooves or waves.

16. A carpet underlay according to any one of claims 6-
15, wherein a facing on the side thereof opposite the

30 backing is provided to give release properties.

17. A carpet underlay substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 2 or Figure
3 or Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

Application No: GB 9506464.8 Examiner: R.J.MIRAMS

Claims searched: 1 to 17 Date of search: 14 June 1996

Patents Act 1977

Search Report under Section 17

Databases searched:

UK Patent Office collections, including GB, EP, WO & US patent specifications, in:
UK CI (Ed.O): A4S, B5N
Int CI (Ed.6): A47G 27/04; B32B 3/28, 29/00, 29/02; D06N 7/00
Other: ONLINE: WPI, CLAIMS

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Full text of "USPTO Patents Application 10072916"

See other formats